I've never been completely comfortable with the word tribe.
It's one of those terms that's become a bit overused over the years. Sometimes it feels a little too "on message". A little too eager to convince everyone we're one big happy family. Dare I say it… a bit "woo".
So, despite thinking it's always been one of the best descriptors of us as a community of professionals who operate under the same brand, I've generally shied away from using it. But recently, I've found myself coming back to it.
The truth is, I can't think of a better word to describe what we've built at The Alternative Board. Let me explain.
For a significant number of individuals and their families within the TAB community, the spring and summer have been a tough time. Grief and serious health challenges are currently impacting at least 10% of our UK tribe.
When life throws challenges like that at people, work naturally becomes secondary. Priorities shift overnight. Suddenly, the business you're so passionate about becomes something that simply needs to keep ticking over while you focus on what really matters.
As I read another hugely supportive WhatsApp message exchange between members of our central team and some of our franchisees, I found myself thinking, "This is exactly why "tribe" is the right word."
It unashamedly conveys that we're human beings who genuinely care about each other. And when the chips are down, that's when we're at our best collectively.
I've watched people instinctively step forward to help. Sometimes it's been practical, facilitating somebody else's peer board, covering meetings or helping clients so that a colleague can deal with what's happening outside of work. Other times it's simply been emotional support. A phone call. A message. A reminder that whatever happens, we've got your back.
None of it has been organised. Nobody has asked, "Whose responsibility is this?"
People have simply done what people do when they genuinely care about one another. That's what a tribe does. Of course, being a tribe doesn't mean we all agree all the time. In fact, I'd argue the opposite.
Being close enough to each other means we're also close enough to have the occasional spat. We challenge each other. We hold each other accountable. We ask awkward questions and sometimes say things that aren't necessarily what someone wants to hear.
More often than not, that doesn't mean taking the easiest path. But those conversations happen because we genuinely want the best for each other. Common sense and the collective good always wins out in the end.
That's one of the things I value most about this community. Nobody is interested in winning an argument for the sake of it. The objective is always to help each other become better franchisees, better leaders and, ultimately, better human beings. Because underneath all of that sits something much bigger than ourselves.
We buy into a common purpose and a shared set of beliefs. Namely that owners of SMEs in the UK are the heroes of our economy.
They're the people creating jobs, investing in communities, taking risks, supporting families and building businesses that keep the country moving forward. Yet, despite the enormous contribution they make, they're often under-served, under-supported and under-estimated. That's always been the mission at TAB.
We exist to help business owners run better businesses and be better human beings, which in turn means their teams perform better. We champion the work they do as builders of businesses because we know that when business owners grow, everyone around them benefits - their employees, their customers, their families and their communities.
That purpose is what connects every single person across our network. It's also why the support we've seen over recent months hasn't surprised me.
When people within our tribe are having a tough time, impacting their ability to work or perhaps they're simply struggling to see the wood for the trees. We step in. Not because there's a policy that tells us to. Not because somebody is keeping score. Simply because that's what this community does.
Whether it's facilitating someone else's board, checking in with a colleague who's having a difficult week or quietly making sure somebody knows they're not facing things alone, the response is always the same. We support each other.
I've often said that one of the biggest challenges business owners face is isolation. It's easy to feel that everything rests on your shoulders. That you have to have all the answers. That asking for help somehow represents weakness. Our franchise community knows better than that.
If anything, the willingness to ask for support and equally, the willingness to offer it is one of the greatest strengths any leader can have. That's true for the business owners we work with every day, and it's equally true for us.
There isn't a single person in the TAB UK community who wouldn't step in to help one of their neighbours. Equally, there isn't anyone who believes they'd be left high and dry should tough times hit them. Think about that for a moment.
How many organisations can genuinely say that? How many people can honestly say they know that if life suddenly takes an unexpected turn, dozens of people would quietly rally around them without hesitation?
That's incredibly special. Business is often measured in turnover, profitability and growth. Those things matter they absolutely do. But the older I get, the more convinced I become that sustainable success is built on something much more fundamental.
Trust. Shared purpose. Mutual respect.
Knowing that someone will challenge you when you need challenging, celebrate your successes without jealousy, and stand shoulder to shoulder with you when life gets difficult. That's what I've seen time and again over the past few months.
So perhaps it's time I stopped worrying about whether the word tribe sounds a bit too "on message".
Because if a tribe is a group of people united by shared purpose, prepared to challenge each other, committed to helping each other grow and always ready to step in when one of their own needs support...
...then that's exactly what we've built.
If anyone's got a better description for capturing what our community is, I'd genuinely be delighted to hear it. But until then, I'm very happy and incredibly proud—to keep calling it our tribe.
Ed